Characteristics of Civil Defense Search and Rescue Units, Turkey, 2008-2009

Background Search and rescue (SAR) is a component of emergency and disaster response. SAR teams are limited in number; thus, collecting information on their characteristics may facilitate the establishment of mutual agreement protocols between countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of the Turkish Civil Defense SAR Units. Methods This descriptive study was conducted in 11 provinces of Turkey from July 2008 to October 2009. Interviews, observations and records were used to gather data, and descriptive statistics are presented. To evaluate the adequacy of personnel and equipment, a Likert-type scoring system was used (0-4 points). Results The size and population density of regions served by SAR Units varied. The mean duration of ground transportation from SAR Unit bases to the furthest provinces in their regions was 4.0±1.2 hours. The mean gathering and loading times were 70.5±42.3 and 48.6±18.0 minutes, respectively. The total employment ratio was 55.6%. The surface and underwater rescue section showed the highest functional sufficiency (3.3±0.7). The mean value for adequacy of SAR equipment was 2.6. Deficiencies were identified in periodic medical check-ups, preventive health measures and after-mission medical examinations for the personnel. Conclusion There is a need for standardization and improvement in various characteristics of SAR Units

Asymptotic high frequency analysis of the electromagnetic backscattering from an inlet model consisting of piecewise linearly tapered sections

Electromagnetic backscattering from an open ended three dimensional inlet model is analyzed and computed patterns are compared with results of experimental measurements. The model is comprised of two sections. The first section consists of a linearly tapered waveguide with a rectangular opening at one end and the other end is connected to the second section which is a uniform rectangular waveguide with a planar perfectly conducting termination. The model is electrically large so that many propagating modes are excited. The method of analysis contains conventional aperture integration and modal techniques combined with high frequency techniques, which employ concepts such as modal rays, geometrical theory of diffraction and equivalent currents. For the cases considered, it is shown that only a few of the many propagating modes contribute appreciably to the backscattered field. These modes are selected according to their modal ray angle directions

Electromagnetic scattering from a class of open-ended waveguide discontinuities

A relatively simple high frequency analysis of electromagnetic scattering from a class of open-ended waveguide discontinuites was developed. The waveguides are composed of perfectly-conducting sections in which the electromagnetic field can be written as the sum of waveguide modes. Junctions are formed at the open end and also within interior regions where different sections are joined. The reflection and transmission properties of each junction are described in terms of a scattering matrix which is determined by combining the modal ray picture with high frequency techniques such as the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (GTD), the Equivalent Current Method (ECM), and modifications of the Physical Theory of Diffraction (PTD). A new set of equivalent circuits are employed in this ECM analysis which leads to a simple treatment of many types of junction discontinuities. Also, a new procedure is presented to improve the efficiency of the aperture integration at the open end which is required in the PTD procedure for finding the fields radiated from (or coupled to) the open end. Once the scattering matrices are determined, they are then combined using a self-consistent multiple scattering method to obtain the total scattered fields

Computer aided frequency planning for the radio and tv broadcasts

Cataloged from PDF version of article.The frequency planning of the VHF and UHF broadcasts in Turkey is described. This planning is done with the aid of computer databases and digital terrain map. The frequency offset is applied whenever applicable to increase the channel capacity. The offset assignment is done through Simulated Annealing algorithm. The international rules and regulations concerning Turkey are also considered

Ten Simple Rules for Reproducible Research in Jupyter Notebooks

Reproducibility of computational studies is a hallmark of scientific methodology. It enables researchers to build with confidence on the methods and findings of others, reuse and extend computational pipelines, and thereby drive scientific progress. Since many experimental studies rely on computational analyses, biologists need guidance on how to set up and document reproducible data analyses or simulations. In this paper, we address several questions about reproducibility. For example, what are the technical and non-technical barriers to reproducible computational studies? What opportunities and challenges do computational notebooks offer to overcome some of these barriers? What tools are available and how can they be used effectively? We have developed a set of rules to serve as a guide to scientists with a specific focus on computational notebook systems, such as Jupyter Notebooks, which have become a tool of choice for many applications. Notebooks combine detailed workflows with narrative text and visualization of results. Combined with software repositories and open source licensing, notebooks are powerful tools for transparent, collaborative, reproducible, and reusable data analyses

On the stability of high-speed milling with spindle speed variation

Spindle speed variation is a well-known technique to suppress regenerative machine tool vibrations, but it is usually considered to be effective only for low spindle speeds. In this paper, the effect of spindle speed variation is analyzed in the high-speed domain for spindle speeds corresponding to the first flip (period doubling) and to the first Hopf lobes. The optimal amplitudes and frequencies of the speed modulations are computed using the semidiscre- tization method. It is shown that period doubling chatter can effectively be suppressed by spindle speed variation, although, the technique is not effective for the quasiperiodic chatter above the Hopf lobe. The results are verified by cutting tests. Some special cases are also discussed where the practical behavior of the system differs from the predicted one in some ways. For these cases, it is pointed out that the concept of stability is understood on the scale of the principal period of the system—that is, the speed modulation period for variable spindle speed machining and the tooth passing period for constant spindle speed machining

Compliance error compensation in robotic-based milling

The paper deals with the problem of compliance errors compensation in robotic-based milling. Contrary to previous works that assume that the forces/torques generated by the manufacturing process are constant, the interaction between the milling tool and the workpiece is modeled in details. It takes into account the tool geometry, the number of teeth, the feed rate, the spindle rotation speed and the properties of the material to be processed. Due to high level of the disturbing forces/torques, the developed compensation technique is based on the non-linear stiffness model that allows us to modify the target trajectory taking into account nonlinearities and to avoid the chattering effect. Illustrative example is presented that deals with robotic-based milling of aluminum alloy

Database for CO2 separation performances of MOFs based on computational materials screening

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are potential adsorbents for CO2 capture. Because thousands of MOFs exist, computational studies become very useful in identifying the top performing materials for target applications in a time-effective manner. In this study, molecular simulations were performed to screen the MOF database to identify the best materials for CO2 separation from flue gas (CO2/N-2) and landfill gas (CO2/CH4) under realistic operating conditions. We validated the accuracy of our computational approach by comparing the simulation results for the CO2 uptakes, CO2/N-2 and CO2/CH4 selectivities of various types of MOFs with the available experimental data. Binary CO2/N-2 and CO2/CH4 mixture adsorption data were then calculated for the entire MOF database. These data were then used to predict selectivity, working capacity, regenerability, and separation potential of MOFs. The top performing MOF adsorbents that can separate CO2/N-2 and CO2/CH4 with high performance were identified. Molecular simulations for the adsorption of a ternary CO2/N-2/CH4 mixture were performed for these top materials to provide a more realistic performance assessment of MOF adsorbents. The structure-performance analysis showed that MOFs with Delta Q(st)(0) > 30 kJ/mol, 3.8 angstrom 1 g/cm(3) are the best candidates for selective separation of CO2 from flue gas and landfill gas. This information will be very useful to design novel MOFs exhibiting high CO2 separation potentials. Finally, an online, freely accessible database https://cosmoserc.ku.edu.tr was established, for the first time in the literature, which reports all of the computed adsorbent metrics of 3816 MOFs for CO2/N-2, CO2/CH4, and CO2/N-2/CH4 separations in addition to various structural properties of MOFs.European Research Counci